Pros
A great organisation to work for who offer great opportunities for personal and career development provided you are willing to put the effort in and have the determination to achieve your goals.
Cons
The amount of work, pay and time away from family is very dependent on your branch and particular role. There will always be people having a much easier ride than you, a lot of it is luck of the draw. At sea the hours are long and you will frequently work 16-18 days for weeks on end. Do not expect to get all your weekends or evenings as time off. If you are in a sea going role expect to spend in excess of 5 years away from home during your career. Career paths are very set with little opportunity for sideways movement. Pay is good however promotion is equally based on time served as well as performance and potential, this can be very frustrating for those who want to progress quickly